T.N.W. Terms & Privacy Policy
When I created this little world, I fell in love with the idea of an ad-free, privacy focused environment. Really, that's the indie-web in a nutshell, or what it should be, if you ask me! My environment follows this protocol with the display of zero ads for all member levels, minimal information collected, and a big one: absolutely ZERO shared/sold information to third parties.
The Node World has two infrastructures, TheNodeWorld.com and TheNodeWorld.net. TheNodeWorld.net is the "SEO-portal" of The Node World, where specific objects are organized into two categories: artwork and writing. The Node World account holders agree that both writing and artwork submissions will appear here also, with only the display of their username and post information.
This entire HTML5 application was built using Sublime Text Editor on Ubuntu Desktop 24.04. Every line of code was hand-written and/or AI-assisted. Unlike most of the indie web, I am an actual developer and designer reviewing and writing lots of the code by hand. Our interface is smooth, elegant, secure and functional. Have you seen the other indie-web community options? Yikes!
The stack used to build this application is as follows, in entirety: Sublime Text Editor, Ubuntu Desktop 24.04, Ubuntu Server 24.04, Socket.io, Node.js, HTML5, CSS, vanilla JavaScript and PHP. Inside, there is utilization of Cropper.js for photo-cropping. This was built with plan, vanilla JavaScript, with no framework used. Everything else runs entirely through our ecosystem.
The Google Play Exception: if you choose to download our app from the Google Play Store, Firebase is used to send you notifications. This is an area which is out of our control to reliably deliver PUSH notifications. Our use of Firebase is as minimal as it can be: they check our database for a key, and they leave. None of your account information is ever exposed to Firebase.
The Private Download App: if you choose to download our app privately (a direct download from us), our app won't talk to Google at all. You will be asked upon opening for permission to run in the background. While Google warnings are good to have, it fails to explain that the usage is extremely minimal. We need this to be 100% private, delivered to you right from us.
We've tried our best to create a web version that works for everybody, regardless device. We recommend our app for mobile phone and tablet members. Google has now (Sept 2026) incorporated a new "secret unlock system" for Android to install 3rd party apps, which now takes 24 hours, thanks Google. If you accept the use of Firebase, the Google Play download works great.
If you're looking for something specific, please use the search, or keep reading!
Collected Information
Your IP Address:
whether logged in as guest, or an account, your IP address is recorded for security purposes. We do not share this publicly, ever, however, it should be notice that your IP address is public online in general. We do not use it to try personally identifying you.
Email Address:
if you decide to create an account, ensure you use a valid email address. After registration, we send an activation email you must click. Once activated, notifications can be toggled. Email is private, even from administrators. The only person who can see your email is the owner, me, and I have no plans to share, sell or expose it anywhere.
Security Note:
you will still receive account "emergency" type emails. You will no longer get email updates, site alerts or social communication from us. If something happens to your account, like a password change, you will still be notified of that account change. This cannot be turned off, and must stay on for security.
Public Username:
if you decide to create an account, we will ask for a public display name, your "username." This is a unique ID, and is your public identification in the world. This displays on various parts of The Node World community.
Profile Information:
profile data is 100% optional, and is not mandatory. However, the profile asks basic questions such as hobbies, music and food tastes, as well as room for one avatar, one cover photo, 3 optional photos, and 6 additional optional photos for donors. These are stored locally on our servers, never shared outside our walls, and can be deleted by you, any time.
What You Create:
chat messages, private messages, voice notes (Supporter/Donor), any world object, and your profile, are all included in what you have "created." This has to be stored somewhere, and as basic as it is, we still don't ever share it. Our mission is not to create revenue using your personal identity. Upon account deletion, everything is wiped completely out.
Security Records:
all login attempts, and password reset attempts are accounted for. If you encounter one, please try again later. If you can't remember or no longer have access, please use the contact form. Upon successful account ownership/verification, we'll help you get back in. If you cannot prove ownership, you will need to open a new account with a new username/email.
Device Permission
Microphone:
requests permission, and is only accessed when actively recording a voice note. Voice notes are stored in term of count, and the count is 25 (twenty-five). Once you've sent 25 voice notes, the recording falls off. A voice note is posted, and can only be removed/deleted with staff intervention. If you send a voice note, ensure your #ChannelLocation before sending.
Camera:
requests permission, and is accessed only when you choose "Take a Photo" for an upload. If you decide to just open the camera, snap a picture, and upload it, you will need to allow this permission. We do not EVER access your camera outside of this function, and only use it for that purpose. Once the camera closes, we no longer obtain power to access it.
Photos and Files:
requests permission, and is accessed only when you choose to upload a file. When you do this, the only file our system reads is the one you choose. You can choose to delete any photos you upload, and trust that they are fully deleted from our end. This permission is required if you wish to upload photos and artwork to the canvas.
Notifications:
requested permission, and is used to send you alerts. To receive updates on reactions, comments and private messages, you'll need these turned on. You can turn this on/off anytime through the account settings. If you are using the app from the official Google Play Store, your notifications run through Firebase, as explained above.
Who Can See Your Content
Canvas Objects:
100% public, guest mode can stumble across them. If you place an object on the canvas, it becomes public to anybody who enters. If your object is locked, nobody will be able to move/resize it. It's locked, right at that coordinate. There is not a way to disable objects being displayed on the canvas, however, they must be explored-to-find in guest mode.
Profile Objects:
community-private. If a guest clicks your profile, all they see is your avatar and highlighted photos, if you chose to use any. It will show your role, "Member," followed by your registration date. For members, your objects become a feed. Under your edit profile settings, you can toggle which objects you'd like to be feed displayed for the community (or none).
Account Blocking
Ignoring An Account:
is an easy, quick way to temporarily mute a member. Your session will ignore until you or the other person reconnects. This is an easy way to temporarily "silence" a situation, but not actually block the account. Messages in main channels as well as private messages will be silenced, and your next login will not deliver those silenced messages.
The Blocking Stage:
is used if you need to block a member completely. You can always manage your block list through the account panel. This will completely block you from the other account. All objects and profile information, as well as chat messages and private messages, will all become invisible or blocked from view. This takes place, live and in real-time.
Blocking Note:
staff members can be blocked, but unless they block you, your content will still be seen by them. You won't see any of that staff member's messages or content, however, to close a security loop-hole against moderation, our staff is still able to moderate your content. The real solution is to contact us, and inform us about staff issues.
Reporting World Content
Reporting Objects:
when you report and object, it gets a reported overlay and is no longer visible. Staff will review this content and take appropriate action. If you continue to have issues posting content that is suitable for the audience here, you may be asked to leave (or forced out the door). Objects will remain hidden until a staff member has reviewed it.
HTML Custom Widgets
Basic Guideline:
if you build an HTML widget, you may use HTML5 and inline JavaScript to create pages, banners, creative posters, etc). Widgets may not (and is automatically enforced) auto-play audio or video, and will refuse to display content from a long list of inappropriate, adult-themed websites. Moderation and consequences for this behavior are taken seriously.
Cookies & Session Date
Remember Me Login:
this is used to keep you signed in. This is not a harmful cookie, or a cookie that tracks and/or collects any information about you. This is simply remembering your connection to avoid always logging in. If you do NOT want to be remembered, wipe this cookie by logging out, and then logging back in with remember me UN-checked.
Non-Negotiable Email Notifications
Activation email:
we send this to help prevent robots and spam.
Password reset email:
we email you instructions to reset your password.
Security alerts:
password changes, email updated, account deletion.
Optional Email Notifications
Coming soon.
Deleting Your Account
Request deletion:
this is under your control at all times. Alternatively, you can visit https://www.theworldnode.com/request_account_to_be_deleted.php, and we will contact you to verify the account and have it deleted.
Delete yourself:
if you'd rather just delete your account immediately, you may do so in your account settings. You will be asked to enter your password to confirm deletion. All of your information will be wiped completely, and a log of everything deleted, including your account, will be sent to the email address on file. That will be our final communication.
Contact Form Policy
Email me directly, Burke:
if you have any issues, please contact me directly using the contact form. This email sends directly to me, not a "General Staff" email that's checked once a week. Typically, I can reply quickly, in a manner of minutes to hours. However, I do ask that you wait 3 business days before sending another message. Spam will not increase wait times.
Last updated: September 2026 · TheNodeWorld / ZiZZiSTUDiO